Bread-slicing machine



- Feb. 2%, 19230 1,445,633.,

A. R. LUSCHKA ET AL.

BREAD SLICING MACHINE.

FILED MAY 15. 1921.

5 Sk IEETS-QI-IEET l- Feb" 2%, 192 LMSfiBEQ A. H. LUSCHKA ET AL.

BREAD SLICING MACHINE.

FILED MAY 16, 1921,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Feb 2Q, 1923,

A. R. LUSCHKA ET AL. BREAD sucme MACHINE.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 FILED MAY 16. 4921- Feb. 2Q, 1923., 1,445,633, A. R. LUSCHKA ET AL.

BREAD SLICING MACHINE.

FILED MAY 16, I92!- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Feb. 2%), 1923.. 1,445,633., A. LUSCHK-A ET AL.

BREAD SLICING MACHINE. FILE D MAY16. I921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- raeaaa rat. an, ieaa AUGUST R. LUSCIIKA AND HENDRIX SIUKAR'I', 01E IJAPORTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO U. S. SLICING MACHINE COMPANY, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA, A GORPORATION OF INDIANA.

BREAD-SLICING MACHINE.

Application filed May 16,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. Arers'r ll. Lr'scnkA and IlnNnRiK STUKART, citizens of the United States, residing at Laporte. in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bread-Slicing Machines, of which the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to a machine for slicing bread and similar material. and has for its object the provision of a device of the class named which shall be of improved eonstruetion and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig, 1 is an elevation of a bread slicer embodying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the slicer shown in Fig. 1 with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the slicer shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the slicer shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the slicer shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation with parts-in section showin a part of the feeding mechanism;

Fig. is a vertical section showing gearing for operating the grinder;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of one form of ratchet drive for the feeding mechanism; and v I Fig. 9 is an elevation of one of the parts shown in Fig. 8.

As shown in Fig. 1, the slicing machine may be mounted on a suitable support, such as a pedestal 10, upon which the base member 11 of the machine frame rests. At opposite ends of the base 11 are frame plates y of gears 19 and 20.

12 and 13 which are held in spaced relation 1921. Serial N0. 469,825.

which constitutes a housing enclosing a pair The gear 19 is journaled on a. stud shaft 21 mounted on the arm or plate 17 and the knife 18 is detachably secured to the gear 19 by screws 22, as shown in Fig. 4. The gear 20 is rigidly fixed to astud shaft 23 which in turn is rigidly held by a nut 2 to a casing 25. The casing 25 is attached to the frame plate 13 by screws 26. shown in Fig. 5. The arm 17 is formed in tegrally with a sleeve 27 which is journaled to rotate upon the shaft 23 and which is driven by a sprocket wheel 28 secured to the sleeve 27. The gear 28 is operated by a chain 29 which passes over a sprocket 30 on the end of a drive shaft 31. The drive shaft 31 is journaled in bearings 32 and 33 in the end plates 12 and 13. respectively. and is provided with a fly-wheel 31 driven by a belt The belt 35 passes over a pulley 36 on a shaft 37 of a motor 38, the motor being carried from the under side of the base plate 11, as shown in Fig. 1. The fly-wheel 34 may be provided with a detachable handle 39 so that the machine may be operated by hand if desired.

It will be apparent that when the shaft 31 is driven the sleeve 27 will be rotated upon the stud shaft 23 and will carry the arm 17 about the center of the shaft 23 as an axis. This will swing the axis of the knife 18 in an orbit about the shaft 23. At the same time the knife 18 will be driven to rotate upon its own axis by the gears 19 and 20. The gear 20 being stationary will cause the gear 19 which meshes therewith to rotate as it is revolved about the-gear 20, thus rotating the knife 18.

The plate 17 is provided with a peripheral flange 4-0 the edge of which is arranged adjacent the face of the knife 18 thus providing a casing for the gears 19 and 20 and preventing crumbs of bread or other material from contacting with the gears. The upper portion of the housing in which the knife 18 revolves is closed by a door 11 which is hinged by a rod 12 to the upper edge of the web 15 and is held in closed position by a fastening 4:3. This door will permit access to the knife 18 so that it may be removed for sharpening in a manner to be described or for any other purpose.

The loaf of bread or other material to be sliced is supported in a guideway or trough 44 held at its forward end by a flange 45 on the web member 15. The flange 45 surrounds an opening through which the end of the loaf is projected into position to be engaged by the knife 18. A similar flange 46 is formed on the frame plate 13 so that the openings through these flangesregister with one another, and the edges ofthe flanges are spaced apart sufiiciently to permit of the passage of the knife 18 therebetween. A slice receiver 47 is pivotally and detachably connected at 48 in position to register with the opening formed by the flange 46 and to receive the slices as they are formed.

It will be apparent that the edge of the knife 18 at the time that it is pressed into engagement with the loaf of bread will also be given a movement to produce a drawing out by the operation of the gears 19 and 20. This enables the knife to cut the loaf without compressing it and it has been found that in this manner even the softest of hot bread can be sliced without difficulty.

In order that the same portion of the edge of the knife 18 will not contact with the loaf at all times the gears 19 and 20 are preferably given a slightly different number of teeth. This arrangement will bring a different portion of the edge of the knife 18- into cutting position at each revolution of the arm 17. A gear ratio of 44 to 40 has been found satisfactory for this purpose.

This will advance the knife one complete revolution in ten "rotations of the arm 17.

The bread is fed forwardly after each slice is cut by a clamping device of holder 49 comprising an upright plate 50 against which the end of the loaf is held by curved prongs or tines 51 arranged to be projected through openings 52 in the plate 50. The tines 51 are carried by a pivoted member 52- arranged to swing about a bar 54 carried by brace members 55 projecting rearwardly from the plate 50. The holder 49 is provided with a base 56 which carries upwardly projecting teeth 57 which may be arranged in alinement with the tines 51 when in holding position. The loaf is first placed on the teeth 57 and the member is then swung upwardly and forwardly until the tines 51 pierce the loaf and hold it in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

The holder 49 is carried by a bracket 58 which extends laterally over the edge of the runway 44, as shown in Fig. 4, and is held in place by a lug 59 which engages a bar 60 secured to the upper edge of the side of the runway 44. The bracket 58 is provided with a sleeve 61 through which a feed screw 62 extends. A lever (33 is pivoted at 64 upon the upper face of the bracket 58 and is provided with a bolt 65 which may be moved by the lever 63 into and out of engagement with the threads of the feed screw 62. The bracket 58 is provided with a continuation 66 which cooperates with the lever 63 to form a handle by which the bolt- 65 may be operated and by which the holder 49 may be moved along the slideway 44 to various positions of adjustn1ent. The lever (33 is preferably provided with a spring normally holding the bolt 65 in engagement with the feed screw (32.

To automatically feed the loaf forwardly during the slicing operation ratchet mechanism is provided for rotating the feed screw 62. This mechanism is driven by a cam (37 secured to the fiy-wheel 34 and provided witha cam groove 68 in which a roller (39 travels. The roller 69 is carried at one end of a lever 70 pivotally mounted at 71 on the rear frame plate. A yoke T2 engages the lever 70 and is held in adjusted positions thereon by a set screw 72). A link 74 is pivoted at T5 to the yoke 72 and the lower end of the link is pivotally connected at T6 to a cover plate '77 for a ratchet disc it. pawl 79 is connected with the cover plate T? in position to engage the teeth on the ratchet disc 78. Any other approved one-way drive mechanism maybe interposed between the discs "ii and 78 for transmitting the intermittent motion of one to the other. The disc 78 is secured/to the rearwardly irojecting end of the feed screw 62 and a holding pawl may be pivoted to the frame plate 12 in position to engage a holding ratchet 80 also secured to thefeed screw 62. Rotation of the cam 67 will impart a partial rotation to the feed screw 62 at each revolution of the drive shaft 31. The parts are so timed that the movement of the feed screw willvtake place during the time that the slicing knife 18 is away from the cutting position so that the forward movement of the loaf will take place while the opening for the slices is free from the knife. The amount of rotation of the feed screw 62 and consequently the thickness of the slices may be regulated by adjusting the yoke 72 along the lever arm 70.

In order that the knife 18 may be easily sharpened a spindle 81 is journaled in the frame plate 13 and housing 25. as shown in Fig. 7, and carries a disc 82 on which the knife 18 may be secured by the screws 22 in the same way that it is held to the gear 19. Fastened to the spindle 81 is a pinion 83 which may be connected to a gear 84 by means of an idler 85. The idler 85 is carried on a shaft 86 and may be slid into and out of mesh with the gears 83 and 84 by a handle 87 and is held in its adjusted positions by a detent 88 arranged to engage grooves in the handle 87. The gear 84 is fixed on-the drive shaft 31. A sharpening device 89 having a grinding wheel 90 is supported on the frame at 91 in position to bring the wheel 90 into cooperative relation with the periphery of the knife 18 when the knife is carried by the spindle 81. The grinder 89 may be of fi l raaaeas any suitable construction. one form of grinder for such purpose being shown in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 1,308,433, granted July 1, 1919. To sharpen the knife 18 it is removed from the spindle 21 and laced on the spindle 81. the idler 85 is rought into mesh with the gears 83 and 84, and the shaft 31"is rotated to drive the knife 18 while in engagement with the grinder 90, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. The grinder may be provided with a supplemental stone 92 for engagement with the flat face of the knife to remove the burr, as described in the patent above referred to.

It will be seen that with this construction a loaf of any configuration may be held and fed to the slicing knife and that slices of varying thicknesses may be cut from the loaf. The loaf will be sliced to the very end or last slice and the movement of the knife produces a drawing out so that no difficulty is experienced in slicing all kinds of bread or similar material. The mech anism is arranged so that all portions of the edge of the knife will be used. thus prevent ing the dulling of any-particular portion more than the rest, and provision is made for easily and effectively sharpening the knife as occasion may require. Tt has been found in practice that a machine of this character will readily slice bread at the rate of two-hundred (200) slices per minute.

We claim:

1. Tn a slicing machine, a disc knife,

means for supporting said knife for rotation about its center and for revolution about an axis removed from said center, and planetary gearing for rotating said. knife When revolved about said axis, said gearing having a ratio to change the angular posi- 'tion of said knife about its center each time said knife returns to a given position in its orbit about said axis.

2. Tn a slicing machine, a disc knife, a plate forming an arm upon which said knife is mounted to rotate, means for revolving said plate about an axis spaced from the center of said knife, gearing for rotating said knife when revolved about said axis, and a flange formed on the periphery of said plate and cooperating with said knife to provide a housing for said gearing.

' 3. In a slicing machine, a disc knife, means for revolving said knife about an axis removed from the center thereof, a circular casing for enclosing the space in which said knife moves, said casing comprising an integral plate for one side thereof and a divided plate for the other side thereof, one

section of said divided plate being movable to permit access to said knife.

4:. Tn a slicing machine, a disc knife, a spindle upon which said knife is supported. means for revolving said spindle to perform slicing operations, and a stationary spindle arranged to rotate said knife upon a fixed axis to facilitate sharpening of said knife.

5. Tn a slicing machine, a disc knife, a spindle arranged to engage said knife at the center thereof, means for driving said spindle to rotate said knife, means for revolving said spindle about an axis spaced from the axis of said spindle, a stationary spindle for receiving said knife. means for rotating said stationary spindle about a fixed axis, and a grinder arranged to engage the edge of said knife during its rotation by said stationary spindle "to sharpen said knife.

6. Tn a slicing machine, a disc knife, means for revolving said knife about an axis spaced from the center thereof, a stationary spindle for receivingsaid knife, means for driving said stationary spindle to rotate said knife about a fixed axis, a grinder for sharpening said knife when driven by said stationary spindle. and means for breaking the driving connection for said stationary spindle during the slicing operation of said knife.

7. Tn a slicing machine, a disk knife, means for moving said knife bodily to produce a slicing operation, means for rotating said knife about a fixed. axis, and a sharpener for engaging said knife during said rotation.

8. Tn a slicing machine. a disk knife, means for rotating said knife upon its axis and for simultaneously revolving said axis about a point spaced therefrom, and means for retaining the axis of said knife in fixed position and simultaneously rotating said knife thereon for sharpening said knife.

9. Tn a slicing machine, a casing comprising a fixed front wall, a divided rear Wall having the upper portion thereof movable to permit access to the interior of said casing, a disk knife mounted in said casing, and mechanism supported by the fixed portions of said casing for revolving said knife. about an axis spaced from the center of said knife, the lower portoins of the walls of said casing having openings therethrough to permit of the passage through said walls of material to be sliced by said knife.

Tn testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification on this 9th day of May, A. D. 1921.

AUGUST R. LT SUTIKA.

TTENDRTK STTTKART. 

